Lochinvar National Park

On the south bank of the sprawling floodplains of the Kafue River, Lochinvar National Park has an interesting environment. WWF classes it as a ‘Wetland of International Importance’. It’s very different from anywhere else in Zambia, but it has received very little attention from the Zambian government or visitors. As such the park has little infrastructure and no accommodation options.

At Lochinvar’s heart lies the huge Chunga Lagoon, bordered by wide floodplains. Lochinvar is one of Zambia’s top destinations for bird-watchers, who come to see water-birds gather in great numbers. It also has good numbers of oribi, zebra and wildebeest, and is a stronghold for Kafue lechwe, which can be seen in their thousands.

North of there are some historical (both colonial and pre-colonial) ruins, and some marvellous rocks that sound like metal when struck.

The remains of two lodges can be found in the park: the original red-brick, colonial Lochinvar Lodge, and the more recent Lechwe Plains Tented Camp. Both have been passed between, and neglected by, several tour operators over the years, and they have fallen into serious disrepair. There are occasional rumours about the lodges being renovated, but the park doesn’t currently have the interest or infrastructure to make a safari lodge commercially viable, and it’s unlikely that we will be able to arrange trips to Lochinvar for the foreseeable future.